Have you signed up to be a DIY MFA Radio Insider yet? This is an exciting new monthly newsletter, especially for our podcast listeners. Every month, you’ll get an email from our podcast producer with recaps of the most recent episodes, a curated Listening List of episodes on a particular theme, and other fun goodies we only share via email. Best of all, it’s free to join! The theme for February is Romance, and you can become an insider by signing up with your email at diymfa.com/insiders.

In this episode Isaac Fellman and I discuss:

• How he used his day job as an archivist as a metaphor for his characters.
• Why you should consider writing fanfiction to develop your writing skills.
• His approach to exploring bigger topics in his writing and why he finds the challenge fun.

Plus, his #1 tip for writers.

About Isaac Fellman

Isaac Fellman is the author of Dead Collections, out 2-22-2022 from Penguin Books, as well as The Breath of the Sun (published under his pre-transition first name), which won the 2018 Lambda Literary Award for queer science fiction, fantasy, and horror. He is an archivist at the GLBT Historical Society in San Francisco.

You can find them on his website or follow him on Twitter or Ghost.

Dead Collections 

When archivist Sol meets Elsie, the larger-than-life widow of a moderately famous television writer who’s come to donate her wife’s papers, there’s an instant spark. But Sol has a secret: he suffers from an illness called vampirism and hides from the sun by living in his basement office. On their way to falling in love, the two traverse grief, delve into the Internet fandom they once unknowingly shared, and navigate the realities of transphobia and the stigmas of carrying the “vampire disease.”

Then, when strange things start happening at the collection, Sol must embrace even more of the unknown to save himself and his job. Dead Collections is a wry novel full of heart and empathy, that celebrates the journey, the difficulties and joys, in finding love and comfort within our own bodies.  

If you decide to check out the book, we hope you’ll do so via this Amazon affiliate link, where if you choose to purchase via the link DIY MFA gets a referral fee at no cost to you. As always, thank you for supporting DIY MFA!

Link to Episode 397

(Right-click to download.)

If you liked this episode…

Head over to iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Spotify, or Google and subscribe so you’ll be first to know when new episodes are available.

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Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!

The post Episode 397: Archives, Fandoms, and Committing Your Obsessions – Interview with Isaac Fellman appeared first on DIY MFA.

I would like to introduce you to Kids on Bikes and its magical younger sibling Kids on Brooms. These are indie games from Renegade Game Studios and Hunters Entertainment. Kids on Bikes was created by Jonathan Gilmour and Doug Levandowski, and the pair collaborated with Spenser Starke for Kids on Brooms.

Kids on Bikes

Kids on Bikes takes place in a small town where the whole table works to create together. I like this collaborative world-building because it eases the Game Master’s job in creating and populating the world, and aids in cementing the players in the setting of the game. Collaborative world-building can also be a boon to your writing because your table will flesh out parts of the world you may not have considered. Other people will make decisions that inspire your own creativity, and you’ll create something collectively that you could not have created on your own.

The idea of Kids on Bikes is that the players take on the roles of inhabitants of the small town you create together then investigate a mystery or supernatural conspiracy that the Game Master creates. Think Stranger Things or Stephen King’s It.

Kids on Brooms

Kids on Brooms uses a very similar system, but rather than the characters being inhabitants of a collectively created small town, they are the faculty and students of a collectively created magical school and the Game Master creates a magical mystery adventure for the table. Think J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter or Ursula K. LeGuin’s A Wizard of Earthsea.

The Logistics

Indie games are fun because they tend to be rules-light in their systems, favoring narrative decisions from your table. These two games are no different in that respect. The systems focus heavily on narrative drive rather than character stats and rolling the dice. One thing that I love about the system these games use is that character abilities vary widely from character to character because stats are assigned dice to roll rather than points.

Character Stats

The character stats in these games are Fight, Flight, Grit, Brains, Brawn, and Charm. When creating your character you assign each standard polyhedral die to a stat. The thing your character is best at would get your d20 and the thing your character struggles with most would get your d4. If a character fails a roll they gain an adversity token which can be spent later to boost the outcome of a roll by 1. This is used in the storytelling to show the times when someone does something outside of their normal abilities in the heat of a moment, like when a mom lifts a car off of her child in a rush of adrenaline.

The Difficulty of a Roll

The difficulty of a roll is set by the Game Master but the average difficulty threshold of a roll is between 5 and 9. This may sound like characters will always fail rolls involving their d4 stat but if the maximum is rolled on any dice roll, then that die “explodes,” meaning the player gets to roll it again and add the new result. This means that if you roll a 4 on a d4, then roll the d4 again and get a 3 your end result would be 7. There is no upper limit on the number of times a die can explode, so you just keep rolling until you do not roll the maximum. This mechanic leads to excited shouting around the table as players cheer for roll streaks and intense moments of pregnant silence while players wait with bated breath to see if their teammates succeed. 

Narrative Control

Another unique aspect of these games is that narrative control passes based on the level of success or failure. In most tabletop games, narrative control lies firmly in the hands of the Game Master. Players control what their characters do, but typically their control ends where their character does. In Kids on Bikes and Kids on Brooms, narrative control shifts between the players and the Game Master. 

If the outcome of a player’s roll is over the difficulty threshold by a significant margin, then narrative control switches to the person who rolled that outcome. That means they get to dictate not only how their character does something but also how the world around them responds. If the outcome of a player’s roll is under the difficulty threshold by a significant margin then narrative control switches to the Game Master, or remains with the Game Master if it were not in someone else’s hands, and the Game Master may also explain how the character reacts. This loss of character control is not for every table, but I do appreciate that these games attempt something new.

Applying It to My Writing

The area in which these games have contributed something different to my writing practice that I haven’t found in other games is in their focus on sensitivity. These games have entire chapters focused on setting boundaries for safe play and maintaining sensitivity in the portrayal of diverse characters. They recommend a session 0 before active gameplay starts where the Game Master can ask players about the subject matter they are comfortable with and the types of characters they want to play. This session also serves as a place to let players know that they can come to the Game Master with their sensitivities privately. 

These games suggest an outline for these boundary-setting conversations called Lines and Veils and it was created by Ron Edwards in his 2003 game Sex and Sorcery. This activity involves players and the Game Master sharing the things that they are not comfortable having in the game at all. These “lines” are topics that should not ever be in the game. Once these borders are put in place, the conversation then should turn to topics that table members are OK with having in the game but should take place off-camera, not described in detail. These are called “veils.”

This boundary-setting conversation is helpful in writing because it not only expands your mind by thinking about things that are sensitive to others that you may not have thought to consider. Veils also give you a chance to flex your creative muscles to evoke something sensitive without being too graphic.

Kids on Brooms and Kids on Bikes also recognize that a single sensitivity conversation is not always enough to keep the game a safe space for everyone so they also encourage the use of a system called the Script Change Tool by Brie Sheldon. This is used during active gameplay to allow players to “pause” the game to give them room to deal with something that is playing on their sensitivities before the game proceeds that way, “fast forward” over-sensitive description that they do not want described in detail and to “rewind” the game to change the direction of storytelling entirely to avoid a topic they’re uncomfortable with.

Though I don’t believe that sensitive topics should be avoided in writing entirely, I do think that practices like these allow writers to consider how and why sensitive topics are used in their work.

Tell us in the comments: Do you think you’ll make use of these exercises?

Kris Hill is working on several genre fiction novels because she has difficulty sticking to writing one project at a time. In her daily life, she attempts to navigate the corporate world as a data analyst. When Kris is not working, she can be found sprawled on a couch reading or running tabletop adventures for her friends. She lives in Canada’s capital city with her husband, her best friend, and four cats.

The post Kids on Bikes and Kids on Brooms appeared first on DIY MFA.

I’m sometimes tempted to respond to this query with one of my own: why wouldn’t I choose to tackle heavy subjects for middle grade readers? 

Even before the pandemic, kids were grappling with school shootings. And since the beginning of time, they’ve had to deal with the loss of loved ones––mother, fathers, extended family, friends, and community members. 

As a society, we like to pretend that childhood is a place of innocence and wonder, a place filled with ice cream and teddy bears, a place where nothing bad ever happens. 

That’s not to say that I don’t understand the temptation to shelter children, to provide them with books that reflect the gentler side of life. Those types of books are wonderful, and important. 

But keeping children from stories of loss and grief deprives them of a safe space to grapple with difficult subjects. It deprives them of the chance to reflect on their own beliefs, to internalize a model for how they might one day not only encounter trauma and survive, but thrive.

The Real Question

The question, then, isn’t why it’s important to tackle heavy subjects with middle grade readers––it’s how do we approach these subjects in a way that’s age-appropriate? 

For me, the answer comes in the form of writing fantasy. 

More specifically, I reinvented the traditional (and often frightening) Grim Reaper mythology to make it more kid-friendly. Instead of a skeletal figure dressed in black, my Reaper is an invisible Great White Wolf. And instead of exploring concepts like heaven and hell, I utilized my setting––a French-inspired fishing village––to create the Sea-in-the-Sky, where stars are lanterns lit by the departed while sailing to eternity. 

In replacing funerals with a Release ceremony, flowers with feathers, and coffins with boats, I’ve removed some of the immediacy of real death, giving readers the chance to approach the subject on their own terms and at their own comfort level. 

Knowing the Middle Grade Market

This is especially important because the middle grade market ranges from kids as young as eight all the way up to twelve and thirteen years old. The needs of kids on the younger end of that spectrum are far different than the needs of older readers. 

Fantasy books are unique in that they offer a layered reading experience, allowing each reader to pull from the book whatever they need depending on maturity and interests. Young readers or those who are looking for fun, adventure, mystery, and escape can find it in the pages of fantasy novels. Older readers looking for more depth and emotional resonance will tune in to the darker themes that younger readers may gloss over. 

Books such as Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate, The Boy, The Boat, and the Beast by Samantha M. Clark, A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness, and The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman are all great examples. 

Humor and Tackling Heavy Subjects with Middle Grade Readers

Another important tool in tackling heavy subjects with middle grade readers is the use of humor. In The Wolf’s Curse, the Wolf acts as an omniscient narrator, offering moments of levity with wry observations about the villagers’ many superstitions, including their insistence on carrying dead rabbits’ feet to protect them from death. 

Such moments offer young readers a reprieve, a release from the darker truths reflected on the pages. 

Author Tahereh Mafi uses this same tool with great results in her middle grade novel Whichwood, in which a young girl is tasked with washing souls from their bodies. She’s haunted by her mother’s ghost, a spirit she tolerates with observations such as, “Ghosts, it turns out, were excessively insecure creatures, offended by every imagined slight; they required constant coddling and found comfort only in their romantic musings on death––which, as you might imagine, made them miserable companions.”

Including humor can be particularly important when writing contemporary, realistic stories that tackle heavy subjects. Debut author Yvette Clark uses this technique in Glitter Gets Everywhere, a novel about a young British girl trying to cope with the loss of her mother. Among all the grief, the main character manages to find small moments of humor, such as turning her ponytail wearing, bully-squashing older sister into an imaginary superhero called “Ponytail Girl,” who she imagines will save the world and then film Youtube videos about avocado hair conditioners. 

Clark also utilizes quirky and humorous side characters, such as Mrs. Allison and her French bulldog, Sir Lancelot, who is described as a “glum-looking creature, constantly snuffling and with numerous digestive issues resulting in horrible farts…” These touches result in a story that doesn’t shy away from the grieving process, but still provides an enjoyable read. 

More than ever before, the middle grade market is opening up to books that address nearly every heavy topic out there; there’s no doubt that writing these stories can be a challenge and carry a great responsibility, but offering young readers books to help them process traumatic events is essential, and incorporating fantasy and humor can help make the stories more palatable for the young readers we’re trying to reach. 

Jessica Vitalis is a Columbia MBA-wielding writer. After leaving home at 16, Vitalis explored several careers before turning her talents to middle grade literature. She brings her experience growing up in a nontraditional childhood to her stories, exploring themes such as death and grief, domestic violence, and socio-economic disparities. With a mission to write thought-provoking and entertaining literature, she often includes magic and fantastical settings. As an active volunteer in the kidlit community, she’s also passionate about using her privilege to lift up other voices. In addition to volunteering with We Need Diverse Books and Pitch Wars, she founded Magic in the Middle, a series of free monthly recorded book talks, to help educators introduce young readers to new stories. An American expat, she now lives in Canada with her husband and two precocious daughters. She loves traveling, sailing and scuba diving, but when she’s at home, she can usually be found reading a book or changing the batteries in her heated socks. You can follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The post Not All Ice Cream and Teddy Bears: Tackling Heavy Subjects with Middle Grade Readers appeared first on DIY MFA.

Stephanie is a Jesus-centered, young adult and fantasy author, writing in the universe of Elledelle about black angels in magical worlds with impressive powers that mirror the human condition.

She loves writing stories centered around feisty angels with complicated pasts, unexpected futures, learning to take up causes bigger than themselves, who may or may not fall in love along the way.

Stephanie is a Canadian-born, Haitian-raised, Congolese descended, North American dweller who lived a colorful life in south Florida that cultivated a perspective on the world as unique as her background.

As the author of The Seraphim Resistance Prequels and The Transcendents serial, Stephanie has built her own self-publishing empire. She is also an avid reader of fantasy and fiction, and columnist for DIY MFA.

In this episode Stephanie BwaBwa and I discuss:

• How comic books helped her develop the world in her YA fantasy universe.
• Her method for crafting a serial series and dealing with the unknowns.
• Why she loves world building and how she avoided sharing too many details at once.

Plus, her #1 tip for writers.

About Stephanie BwaBwa

Stephanie BwaBwa is a Jesus-centered, young adult and fantasy author, writing in the universe of Elledelle about black angels in magical worlds with impressive power that mirror the human condition.

She loves writing stories centered around feisty angels with complicated pasts, unexpected futures, learning to take up causes bigger than themselves, who may or may not fall in love along the way.

Stephanie is a Canadian-born, Haitian-raised, Congolese descended, North American dweller who lived a colorful life in south Florida that cultivated a perspective on the world as unique as her background.

Stephanie has authored the The Seraphim Resistance Prequels, and The Transcendents serial, and is an avid reader of fantasy and fiction. 

Jesus is her Lord, Disney+ is her safe place, she dreams of being a monkey mama and she’s always penning a new story in Elledelle. 

You can usually catch her going for a walk through a park, or simply binging Disney+ with too many snacks.

You can find Stephanie on her website or follow her on Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, Bookbub, and Reedsy.

The Crescent and the Ash Queen

A deadly assassin seeking freedom. A manipulative queen seeking power. A depraved court hanging in the balance.

Zavala Nightingale is a deadly assassin with a slick mouth, and devastating magic. Even though she’s the most feared Crescent in the Bones Court, she still wants out.

Zavala has one more job to finish, then she’ll collect her coin and leave…

But the Ash Queen has other plans for her.

When the Ash Queen declares Zavala as her heir and the next Crescent Queen, Zavala will be faced with one of two choices:

Accept and be a Crescent for life, or deny the Ash Queen, drawing the wrath of every assassin alive.

If you decide to check out the book, we hope you’ll do so via this Amazon affiliate link, where if you choose to purchase via the link DIY MFA gets a referral fee at no cost to you. As always, thank you for supporting DIY MFA!

Link to Episode 380

(Right-click to download.)

If you liked this episode…

Head over to iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Spotify, or Google and subscribe so you’ll be first to know when new episodes are available.

Also, remember that sharing is caring so if you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please tell them about it or leave us a review so other listeners will want to check it out.

Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!

The post Episode 380: World Building and the Fantasy YA Serial – Interview with Stephanie BwaBwa appeared first on DIY MFA.

Veronica was born in Brooklyn, New York, and has been a bit of a rolling stone ever since. Her work has appeared in various online publications. She is a graduate of the Viable Paradise Workshop and a member of SFWA (Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America).

She now writes from North Carolina, where she eschews rollerballs for fountain pens and fine paper. Other untreated addictions include chocolate and cupcakes.

Today we’ll be talking about her debut novel (which I am reading and LOVING) Bacchanal.

In this episode Veronica and I discuss:

• Her literary influences and how they each blur the line between real and fantasy.
• Why she included the downsides to her protagonist having an amazing ability.
• What scenes were difficult for her to write and how she powered through.

Plus, her #1 tip for writers.

About Veronica G. Henry

Veronica G. Henry was born in Brooklyn, New York, and has been a bit of a rolling stone ever since. Her work has appeared in various online publications. She is a graduate of the Viable Paradise Workshop and a member of SFWA.

She now writes from North Carolina, where she eschews rollerballs for fountain pens and fine paper. Other untreated addictions include chocolate and cupcakes. 

You can find Veronica on her website or follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

Bacchanal

Evil lives in a traveling carnival roaming the Depression-era South. But the carnival’s newest act, a peculiar young woman with latent magical powers, may hold the key to defeating it. Her time has come.

Abandoned by her family, alone on the wrong side of the color line with little to call her own, Eliza Meeks is coming to terms with what she does have. It’s a gift for communicating with animals. To some, she’s a magical tender. To others, a she-devil. To a talent prospector, she’s a crowd-drawing oddity. And the Bacchanal Carnival is Eliza’s ticket out of the swamp trap of Baton Rouge.

Among fortune-tellers, carnies, barkers, and folks even stranger than herself, Eliza finds a new home. But the Bacchanal is no ordinary carnival. An ancient demon has a home there too. She hides behind an iridescent disguise. She feeds on innocent souls. And she’s met her match in Eliza, who’s only beginning to understand the purpose of her own burgeoning powers.

Only then can Eliza save her friends, find her family, and fight the sway of a primordial demon preying upon the human world. Rolling across a consuming dust bowl landscape, Eliza may have found her destiny.

If you decide to check out the book, we hope you’ll do so via this Amazon affiliate link, where if you choose to purchase via the link DIY MFA gets a referral fee at no cost to you. As always, thank you for supporting DIY MFA!

Link to Episode 368

(Right-click to download.)

If you liked this episode…

Head over to iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Spotify, or Google and subscribe so you’ll be first to know when new episodes are available.

Also, remember that sharing is caring so if you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please tell them about it or leave us a review so other listeners will want to check it out.

Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!

The post Episode 368: Intention, Agency, and Choice: How to Write Three-Dimensional Characters – Interview with Veronica G. Henry appeared first on DIY MFA.

Emily is the author of the Hundredth Queen series, along with Before the Broken Star, Into the Hourglass, and Everafter Song in the Evermore Chronicles.

Her latest novel is Wings of Fury, which was released earlier this year, and we’ll be discussing it today. It is the first in the Wings of Fury duology; the second book, Crown of Cinders, will be out in October of this year.

Born in Canada and raised in the United States, Emily is a shark advocate, a consumer of gummy bears, and an islander at heart, but her greatest interests are her children and three cantankerous cats. 

In this episode Emily and I discuss:

• How she chose which versions of mythology she was going to use in her novels.
• What she learned about the role and lives of women in Ancient Greece.
• Why she wrote a duology as opposed to a trilogy or a longer series.

Plus, her #1 tip for writers.

Recommended Resources for Greek Mythology

https://www.theoi.com/

Goddesses in Everywoman: Powerful Archetypes in Women’s Lives by Jean Shinoda Bolan

Muse by Brittany Cavallaro

The Book of Greek Myths by d’Aulaires

Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes by Edith Hamilton

Circe by Madeline Miller

If you are interested in learning more about Greek Mythology, we hope you will check out these books via our Amazon Affiliate links. DIY MFA will receive a referral fee at no cost to you.

About Emily R. King

Emily R. King is the author of the Hundredth Queen series, as well as Before the Broken Star, Into the Hourglass, and Everafter Song in the Evermore Chronicles. Her latest novel, Wings Of Fury, will be released March 1, 2021, the first in the Wings of Fury duology. 

The second book, Crown of Cinders, will be released October 5, 2021.

Born in Canada and raised in the United States, she is a shark advocate, a consumer of gummy bears, and an islander at heart, but her greatest interests are her children and three cantankerous cats.

You can find Emily on her website or follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.  

Wings of Fury

This past March, Emily R. King, the beloved fantasy author of the Hundredth Queen series, released WINGS OF FURY (March 1, 2021; 47North; Trade Paperback Original; $14.95), an empowering new tale inspired by ancient Greek mythology. Fans of both Circe by Madeline Miller and Wonder Woman will delight in making the acquaintance of Althea Lambros, a young woman who must fight both with—and against— the gods to save her family.

Althea’s world is ruled by Cronus, the God of Gods, whose inheritance is the world and women, his playthings. He takes mortal women as prizes and discards them when he’s through. No woman dares to defy him.

After her mother is taken from her and dies as a result of Cronus’s cruelty, Althea is determined not to suffer the same fate as so many women before her. To honor the dying wish of her mother, Althea promises to take care of her sisters no matter the cost.

Following the vision that has been revealed to her by the Fates—that she will crush the Almighty and free the world from his terror—Althea travels to the southern isle of Crete, where women who seek refuge from Cronus live hidden among the exalted Boy God. The Boy God, Zeus, the only son of Cronus, is believed by most of the world to be dead. But he is very much alive and his destiny is tied with Althea, for the Fates foretold that he too will destroy his father.

As Althea and the Boy God train and gain support for their fated journey, Cronus learns of the rebellion and begins amassing his own army to quell any resistance. Cronus may be The Almighty, but Althea will not fail her mother, sisters, or the imprisoned women helpless against the cruel god.

Crown of Cinders

May Gaea be with you . . .

Althea Lambros is growing into her power, wrestling with a burdensome heritage, and unwilling to concede to Cronus, the redoubtable God of Gods. For that, Cronus is making good on his promise. Calling upon the elder Titans, he’s bringing down his wrath on the world. Suffering quakes, tempests, fire, and hail, mortals are paying in blood for the war of the gods.

With the help of her friend Theo, Althea takes cover with her sisters, Bronte and Cleora. But they can’t hide forever. To mastermind the downfall of the evil king, Althea must recruit allies of her own before the aggrieved mortals surrender the sisters to Cronus in exchange for peace.

Is Althea formidable enough to win? It’ll take the help of her sisters and those willing to fight for the cause of the just. As the gods pick sides, Althea must divide heaven and earth to defeat the enemy and write the true history of the war to end all wars.

If you decide to check out these books, we hope you’ll do so via these Amazon affiliate links: Wings of Fury and Crown of Cinders, where if you choose to purchase via the link DIY MFA gets a referral fee at no cost to you. As always, thank you for supporting DIY MFA!

Link to Episode 365

(Right-click to download.)

If you liked this episode…

Head over to iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Spotify, or Google and subscribe so you’ll be first to know when new episodes are available.

Also, remember that sharing is caring so if you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please tell them about it or leave us a review so other listeners will want to check it out.

Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!

The post Episode 365: Fantasy Inspired by Greek Mythology – Interview with Emily R. King appeared first on DIY MFA.

Ken Liu

Ken Liu is author of the Dandelion Dynasty silkpunk series and the translator behind Liu Cixin’s Three Body Problem and Death’s End. He’s written a Star War, too, but the book I’ll direct you to is his short fiction collection, The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories. The titular story is about a boy whose mother makes him origami animals that appear to come to life when she breathes on them. “The Paper Menagerie” was the first piece of short fiction to win the triple crown of science fiction and fantasy awards, the Hugo, the Nebula, and the World Fantasy Award.

Nghi Vo

The Chosen and the Beautiful is Nghi Vo’s debut novel (published June 1, 2021), but she’s had great success with her novellas, The Empress of Salt and Fortune (Hugo, Locus, and Ignyte Award finalist, winner of the Reddit Stabby and IAFA’s Crawford Awards) and When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain.

She’s also published a lot of short fiction. Read her at any length you choose; Nghi Vo’s one to watch.

Aliette de Bodard

Aliette de Bodard has won three Nebula Awards, a Locus Award, a European Science Fiction Society award, a British Fantasy Award and four British Science Fiction Association Awards for her short fiction, novellas, and novels. She is of French and Vietnamese descent and though her first language is French, she writes in English.

Last year the sapphic romantic fantasy Fireheart Tiger was released, in which a diplomat princess faces her former lover and must decide both her future as well as that of her country.

Isabel Yap

Isabel Yap is a Filipino writer of speculative fiction and poetry. Her first collection of short fiction, Never Have I Ever, contains 13 stories that entwine fantasy, horror, and science fiction to explore monsters, Filipino folklore, immigration, and queerness.

In “A Cup of Salt Tears,” Makino’s mother warns her of the dangers of making deals with kappas even though a kappa saved Makino as a child. When Makino’s husband becomes ill, she seeks out her savior. In “Hurricane Heels (We Go Down Dancing),” a group of five girls befriend one another at a summer camp when a goddess charges them with protecting the world from darkness.

Yap admits to liking ambiguous endings, so be prepared for a few of those when you pick this collection up.

Yoon Ha Lee

Yoon Ha Lee’s space opera trilogy, The Machineries of Empire, is comprised of Ninefox Gambit (2016; Locus Award for best first novel, Hugo and Nebula finalist), Raven Stratagem (2017; Hugo finalist), and Revenant Gun (2018; Hugo finalist).

Phoenix Extravagant is a standalone fantasy set in a world reminiscent of Korea during the Japanese occupation of the early 1900s. Jebi is a nonbinary artist hired by the Ministry of Armour to paint magical sigils onto masks for the conquering government’s automata. Jebi doesn’t consider themselves political, but after befriending a pacifist dragon automata (as one does), Jebi decides they’ll do whatever it takes to keep the dragon from becoming a weapon of war used to kill and subdue their people. Unfortunately, Jebi discovers that sometimes you have to choose a side.

Ted Chiang

Ted Chiang’s work has won four Nebula awards, four Hugo awards, the John W. Campbell Award (now the Amazing) for Best New Writer, and four Locus awards. His short story “Story of Your Life” was the basis of the film Arrival (2016).

In Exhalation, Chiang examines technology’s effect on humanity. The opening story, “The Merchant and the Alchemist’s Gate,” a portal leads people 20 years into the future or 20 years into the past. Time-travel shenanigans of the best kind.

Fonda Lee

Fonda Lee’s debut young-adult novel, Zeroboxer, was nominated for the 2016 Andre Norton Award. Her second novel for young-adults, Exo, was nominated for the 2018 Andre Norton Award. Her debut novel for adults, Jade City, was a finalist for the 2018 Nebula Award for Best Novel and won the 2018 World Fantasy Award.

Jade City, the thrilling first book in the Green Bone trilogy takes place on the gangster-controlled island of Kekon, where magical jade grants superhuman powers to those who can wear it. The Kaul family is one of two major crime syndicates that control the city. When a rival syndicate threatens their authority, the three Kaul siblings must band together to protect their power. Jade War was published in 2019, and the third novel, Jade Legacy, will be published in November of 2021.

Gabriela interviewed Fonda Lee about world building for DIY MFA radio.

Shveta Thakrar

Shveta Thakrar characterizes herself as a part-time nagini and full-time believer in magic. Her work has appeared in magazines and anthologies including Enchanted Living, Uncanny Magazine, A Thousand Beginnings and Endings, and Toil & Trouble. Her debut young adult fantasy novel, Star Daughter, is a finalist for the 2021 Andre Norton Nebula Award.

In Star Daughter, Sheetal Mistry is (surprise!) the daughter of a star, but she manages to live a mostly normal life until her nascent abilities surface and will not be denied. When, through a surge of uncontrolled magic, Sheetal’s father ends up in a coma, she and her friend embark on a journey to the stars to seek her mother’s help. What Sheetal finds when she arrives is political turmoil and … a magical music competition.

Roshani Chokshi

Roshani Chokshi’s New York Times bestselling series include The Star-Touched Queen duology, The Gilded Wolves, and Aru Shah and The End of Time, which was recently optioned for film by Paramount Pictures. Her work has been nominated for the Locus and Nebula awards.

In The Star-Touched Queen, a YA fantasy rich in world building and Indian mythology, Maya lives a relative life of freedom thanks to a cursed horoscope that predicts death and destruction following her marriage. Then her father marries her off and she becomes the queen of Arkan. Romance and hijinx (preventing the aforementioned death and destruction) ensue.

Renée Ahdieh

Renée Ahdieh is an American-Korean author, best known for her New York Times best-selling duology The Wrath & the Dawn. Imagine Entertainment optioned the film rights to the duology in 2017. Ahdieh says she loves to wreak havoc on the lives of her characters.

In the first novel of the duology, The Wrath & the Dawn, Ahdieh reimagines The Arabian Nights. The evil Caliph, Khalid, marries a new woman every night and murders her in the morning. When 16-year-old Shahrzad’s best friend becomes one of his victims, Shahrzad vows vengeance and volunteers to become his next bride. Every night she spins tales to her husband to postpone her execution but, as night follows night, Shahrzad fails to find the monster she expected in Khalid.

Read with Purpose

One of the core tenets of the DIY MFA philosophy is to read with purpose. In reading the works of AAPI authors, you may encounter plot structures or storytelling techniques that are different from, but equally effective to, the western ones you’ve become familiar with. The core myths and legends from which these stories derive may also be unfamiliar. Expand your writerly horizons and dig in.

These authors and their stories deserve both your reader brain (enjoyment) and your writer brain (analysis).

Until next time, keep speculating, and see where it leads you!

Melanie is an instructional designer by day, SF&F author-in-progress and ink alchemist by night. She is the third generation of Marttilas to live in her little house on the street that bears her family name. She blogs at https://www.melaniemarttila.ca and you can find her on Facebook and
Twitter.

The post Ten AAPI Sci-Fi/Fantasy Authors to Read Right Now appeared first on DIY MFA.

Tasha is an award-winning author, occasional librarian and cat owner. Her books include the Books of Ambha duology and The Jasmine Throne, (which is out now).

When she isn’t writing, Tasha likes to cry over TV shows, buy too many notebooks, and indulge her geeky passion for reading about South Asian history. She lives with her family in a mildly haunted house in London.

In this episode Tasha and I discuss:

• Why she wanted to depict different kinds of strength and how she pulled it off.
• Her advice for tying together multiple points of view. (Her novel has ten POVs!)
• How to write a book proposal for a novel and other advice for getting published.

Plus, her #1 tip for writers.

About Tasha Suri

Tasha Suri is an award-winning author, occasional librarian and cat owner. Her books include the Books of Ambha duology and The Jasmine Throne, out in June. When she isn’t writing, Tasha likes to cry over TV shows, buy too many notebooks, and indulge her geeky passion for reading about South Asian history. She lives with her family in a mildly haunted house in London.

You can find Tasha on her website or follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

The Jasmine Throne

Tasha Suri’s The Jasmine Throne begins the powerful Burning Kingdoms trilogy, in which two women—a long-imprisoned princess and a maidservant in possession of forbidden magic—come together to rewrite the fate of an empire.

Exiled by her despotic brother when he claimed their father’s kingdom, Malini spends her days trapped in the Hirana: an ancient, cliffside temple that was once the source of the magical deathless waters, but is now little more than a decaying ruin.

A servant in the regent’s household, Priya makes the treacherous climb to the top of the Hirana every night to clean Malini’s chambers. She is happy to play the role of a drudge so long as it keeps anyone from discovering her ties to the temple and the dark secret of her past.

One is a vengeful princess seeking to steal a throne. The other is a powerful priestess seeking to save her family. Their destinies will become irrevocably tangled.

And together, they will set an empire ablaze.

If you decide to check out the book, we hope you’ll do so via this Amazon affiliate link, where if you choose to purchase via the link DIY MFA gets a referral fee at no cost to you. As always, thank you for supporting DIY MFA!

Link to Episode 361

(Right-click to download.)

If you liked this episode…

Head over to iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Spotify, or Google and subscribe so you’ll be first to know when new episodes are available.

Also, remember that sharing is caring so if you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please tell them about it or leave us a review so other listeners will want to check it out.

Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!

The post Episode 361: Villains and Villainy, Antagonists and Obstacles: Crafting Conflict in Epic Fantasy – Interview with Tasha Suri appeared first on DIY MFA.

Suyi is a Nigerian author of fantasy, science fiction and other speculative works inspired by his West-African origins. His new novel, Son of the Storm, is the first in the epic fantasy trilogy called The Nameless Republic, and he is also author of the acclaimed and award-winning godpunk fantasy novel David Mogo.

His shorter fiction and essays have appeared internationally in various periodicals and anthologies, including Black Panther: Tales of Wakanda and Year’s Best Science Fiction and Fantasy. He has taught writing at the University of Arizona and spoken at various venues and institutions in the US and beyond.

In this episode Suyi and I discuss:

• How to create intricate contradictions within characters and the plot of your story.
• The role narrator and point of view play in the meaning and importance of a story.
• Why he used a marketplace as a foundation for building his story’s world.

Plus, his #1 tip for writers.

About Suyi Davies Okungbowa

Suyi Davies Okungbowa is a Nigerian author of fantasy, science fiction and other speculative works inspired by his West-African origins. His new novel, Son of the Storm, first in the epic fantasy trilogy The Nameless Republic, is forthcoming from Orbit in May. His award-winning godpunk fantasy novel David Mogo, Godhunter was hailed by WIRED Magazine as “the subgenre’s platonic deific ideal.” His shorter fiction and essays have appeared internationally in various periodicals and anthologies, recently including Black panther: Tales of Wakanda and Year’s Best Science Fiction and Fantasy. He has taught writing at the University of Arizona and spoken at various venues and institutions in the US and beyond. He currently lives Tucson, Arizona. 

You can find him on his website or follow him on Twitter and Instagram.

Son of the Storm

From one of the most exciting new storytellers in epic fantasy, the first book in the Nameless Republic trilogy is a sweeping tale of violent conquest and forbidden magic set in a world inspired by the pre-colonial empires of West Africa.

In the thriving city of Bassa, Danso is a clever but disillusioned scholar who longs for a life beyond the rigid family and political obligations expected of the city’s elite. A way out presents itself when Lilong, a skin-changing warrior, shows up wounded in his barn. She comes from the Nameless Islands- which, according to Bassa lore, don’t exist- and neither should the mythical magic of ibor she wields.

Now swept into a conspiracy far beyond his understanding, Danso and Lilong will set out on a journey that reveals histories violently suppressed and magic only found in lore.

Black Boy Joy

Celebrate the joys of Black boyhood with stories from seventeen bestselling, critically acclaimed Black authors.

Black boy joy is…

Picking out a fresh first-day-of-school outfit.

Saving the universe in an epic intergalactic race.

Finding your voice—and your rhymes—during tough times.

Flying on your skateboard like nobody’s watching.

And more! From seventeen acclaimed Black male and non-binary authors comes a vibrant collection of stories, comics, and poems about the power of joy and the wonders of Black boyhood.

Contributors include: B. B. Alston, Dean Atta, P. Djèlí Clark, Jay Coles, Jerry Craft, Lamar Giles, Don P. Hooper, George M. Johnson, Varian Johnson, Kwame Mbalia, Suyi Davies Okungbowa, Tochi Onyebuchi, Julian Randall, Jason Reynolds, Justin Reynolds, DaVaun Sanders, and Julian Winters

If you decide to check out these books, we hope you’ll do so via these Amazon affiliate links, where if you choose to purchase via the link DIY MFA gets a referral fee at no cost to you. As always, thank you for supporting DIY MFA!

Link to Episode 357

(Right-click to download.)

If you liked this episode…

Head over to iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Spotify, or Google and subscribe so you’ll be first to know when new episodes are available.

Also, remember that sharing is caring so if you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please tell them about it or leave us a review so other listeners will want to check it out.

Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!

The post Episode 357: Layers of World Building in Epic Fantasy – Interview with Suyi Davies Okungbowa appeared first on DIY MFA.

Cherae Clark graduated from Indiana University’s creative writing MFA and was a 2012 Lambda Literary Fellow. In addition to writing, she has had various jobs as she’s traveled the world, including: personal trainer, English teacher, editor, or some combination thereof.

When she’s not writing or working, she’s learning languages, doing P90something, or reading about war and post-colonial history. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in FIYAH, PodCastle, Uncanny, and Beneath Ceaseless Skies and she is now one of the co-editors at PodCastle and editor of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA) Blog.

In this episode C.L. and I discuss:

• How to identify which character is the protagonist and whether there can be two.
• The relationship between magic, religion, and technology and how she uses it.
• Different ways to handle conflict and the approach she takes in her writing.

Plus, her #1 tip for writers.

About C.L. Clark

Cherae Clark graduated from Indiana University’s creative writing MFA and was a 2012 Lambda Literary Fellow. She’s been a personal trainer, an English teacher, and an editor, and is some combination thereof as she travels the world. When she’s not writing or working, she’s learning languages, doing P90something, or reading about war and [post-]colonial history. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in FIYAH, PodCastle, Uncanny and Beneath Ceaseless Skies. Now she’s one of the co-editors at PodCastle and editor of the SFWA Blog.

You can find C.L. Clark on her website or follow her on Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads.

The Unbroken

Touraine is a soldier. Stolen as a child and raised to kill and die for the empire, her only loyalty is to her fellow conscripts. But now, her company has been sent back to her homeland to stop a rebellion, and the ties of blood may be stronger than she thought.

Luca needs a turncoat. Someone desperate enough to tiptoe the bayonet’s edge between treason and orders. Someone who can sway the rebels toward peace, while Luca focuses on what really matters: getting her uncle off her throne.

Through assassinations and massacres, in bedrooms and war rooms, Touraine and Luca will haggle over the price of a nation. But some things aren’t for sale.

If you decide to check out the book, we hope you’ll do so via this Amazon affiliate link, where if you choose to purchase via the link DIY MFA gets a referral fee at no cost to you. As always, thank you for supporting DIY MFA!

Link to Episode 354

(Right-click to download.)

If you liked this episode…

Head over to iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Spotify, or Google and subscribe so you’ll be first to know when new episodes are available.

Also, remember that sharing is caring so if you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please tell them about it or leave us a review so other listeners will want to check it out.

Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!

The post Episode 354: Character, Conflict, and World Building in Fantasy – Interview with C.L. Clark appeared first on DIY MFA.